The Danger of Coming Soon!

There’s a webpage that I am forced to visit fairly regularly and when I click on the different links in their navigation to do my twice monthly state of the union I am always greeted by one page that has become the THORN IN MY SIDE. It’s a coming soon page.

Do you know how long I’ve been looking at this Coming Soon!!! (yes, three exclamation points) page? Three years.

We define soon quite differently. Because to me soon is like….tomorrow. Patience is not my strong suit.

Five Reasons it is BAD to say Coming Soon!!!

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It might not happen. Ever. There is a risk when you start talking about something TOO soon that it will never happen and then your credibility takes a hit. Better idea: When you have something in progress, with signed contracts and product in hand = then start talking about it.

It’s a let down. For example: Last night we went out to dinner, it’s a new restaurant in town and on the menu was the House Made Pasta Special. Sign me up is my very first thought. When the waiter said “We actually don’t have that yet.” I was really let down. I would have been happier just picking from what was available RIGHT NOW. Don’t be such a tease.

What’s worse than Coming Soon? Coming Soon in June of 2011….um. ooops. If you do have a firm date for your Coming Soon! Think about an anticipation building campaign and make sure that you have an email notification opt-in and all of your social links handy on that page so people that truly are interested in your imminent launch can be reminded as the big day happens (not nears – no need to build more anticipation unless you’ve got a hit movie with A-list actors or you’ve written the next Harry Potter).

You haven’t let people know that they should CARE that you’re something special is Coming Soon!!!! It’s not enough to put a link on your site with a Coming Soon. It’s not. If the thing you’re intending to launch really is ALL THAT then spend a bit of time and put together a few week plan of how you can promote your launch on your site, in your email marketing, through your social channels and in real life (yes, marketing still happens there too). Be thoughtful – care about your Coming Soon enough to build the right kind of anticipation. And have a fall-back plan. If things go to pot you will need to save face and do so promptly.

Your definition of Coming Soon and my definition of Coming Soon are not the same. Ever.

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